A new stamp released today shows sea-surface temperatures around North America. / NOAA/USPS

by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

by Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

The stamp shows a view of sea-surface temperatures around North America on a typical July day in the 1990s, with colors ranging from blue to red, representing cooler to warmer temperatures.

The image came from NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, N.J., where scientists have modeled the behavior of the oceans and atmosphere since the 1960s. Sea-surface temperatures are important to model because they influence weather around the globe, sometimes for months and even years.

The square stamp was selected through the postal service's public process that begins with suggestions from citizens to the a stamp advisory committee.

The $1.15 stamp is a "forever" international rate stamp, which can be used to mail a one-ounce letter to any country to which first-class international service is available.

The stamp was unveiled at an Earth Day celebration at the U.S. Department of Energy Tuesday morning.